Let’s talk about staycations. For the record, I am a person who has a deep appreciation for the English language and the words within it. That love is mirrored by my disdain for made-up words like “staycation”, but it really does fit the bill better than anything else, so here

The art of being present has become increasingly challenging. We are bombarded with distractions, from buzzing smartphones to never-ending to-do lists, making it difficult to stay focused and truly engage with the present moment. Yet, the ability to be mentally present is crucial for our well-being, relationships, and overall quality

For some time I have inherently known the power that comes with empathy, whether that is self-empathy or empathy for other, but it was not until someone in the Intro Course shared a personal story that it became explicitly clear to me. Without getting into too many personal details, I

Conflict resolution is the process of finding a resolution to a dispute that satisfies all parties involved while also ideally avoiding things like physical violence, name-calling, and any other behavior that might be seen as disrespectful. It is a wonderful and magical thing, and not necessarily always easy. There are,

Alright… I’m about to let you all in on a little secret – a trick of the trade, so to speak. For those of you who have been in therapy before, you may already know this secret, or you know it but you don’t know you know it. (And for

As St. Patrick’s Day approaches, many of us revel in the festivities, donning green attire and celebrating luck. Yet, when it comes to relationships, luck has little to do with their success. Instead, healthy and fulfilling connections are cultivated through understanding, empathy, and effective communication. This St. Patrick’s Day, let’s

Spring is here, which for many means spring cleaning – the often therapeutic purge/scrub throughout one’s home and possessions. Maybe every spring you clean your room, car, office, closet, etc. When you finish, you probably get feelings of satisfaction and joy from needs met around order, structure, and maybe even

I know, I know. Social work is broad. It encompasses everything from one-on-one talk therapy to assisting hospital patients in navigating medical bureaucracy to advocating for marginalized communities in various ways. Social work is everywhere and a part of almost every system, whether explicitly labeled as so or not. Yet

Most Valentines I read are either funny or full of judgment. Typically these are “positive” judgments, but judgments none the less. For example, things like “You are my soulmate”, or “There is no one in the world sweeter than you”. And sure, these things are fine enough for a Valentine,

Tis’ the season of love, so in the spirit of timely appropriateness, I decided to explore how one can use NVC to deepen their love of self. Because while having a loving partner can be nice, it is even better to have a loving self. Luckily, nonviolent communication (NVC) can

Have you ever received advice from someone and instead of being able to appreciate what they shared, you just end up angry? Or maybe embarrassed? That’s because advice is one of those other conversational responses, and receiving it isn’t always a connecting experience. But why isn’t it connecting? Usually, the

This blog talks a lot about Nonviolent Communication, or NVC, and we have likely mentioned restorative practices at some point. Today, I’d like to talk about the incredible benefits of combining the two. But first, some insider history: Dr. Cindy Bigbie, the founder of The Bigbie Method, has focused The

Marshall Rosenberg advises us to “Use anger as a wake-up call to unmet needs”. Any time we experience anger, it is because there is a need that is not being tended to. And I think that whatever need we initially recognize as the impetus for our anger is usually just

According to the National Council for Behavioral Health, at least 70% of adults in the U.S. have experienced some type of traumatic event at least once in their lives (1). I think the number is probably higher than that, depending on how one would define “trauma”. Many people understand trauma

I have been practicing and studying Nonviolent Communication (NVC) for 5 years. I would say that I’ve been very intentionally living in NVC for the last 3 of those years. In the last year and some change, I have embarked on the greatest, most challenging, and most rewarding journey to

Recently, someone in one of our Empathy Gym sessions shared about an experience in which they encountered someone who said some things in conflict with their beliefs and values, and in a way that did not meet their needs for respect. In turn, this person was pretty hurt, irked, and

In Nonviolent Communication, people practice something called reflection when giving empathy to others. Basically, this is when someone repeats back what they are hearing another person say, usually in a shortened, paraphrased manner. It is a fairly integral part of the process of giving empathy, but I fear the reasoning

‘Tis the season to be thankful. At the end of the year, especially around Thanksgiving (for those in the United States), people tend to reflect on what brings them joy, contentment, and peace in their lives. Along with communing with family and eating significantly more than usual, it is a

For a long time in my Nonviolent Communication journey, I exclusively used self-empathy as a tool to process interpersonal conflicts. When I was angry or triggered by something that happened in my life, I often found myself ruminating on judgments and blame of others (people around me, systems, or society